Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The target for this year is 17,000. As I told the Deputy, 2,000 were taken off the housing list last year. Some 6,000 were helped through the housing assistance programme and another 5,800 were helped through the increase in rent supplement under the tenancy agreement. Therefore, local authorities, which used to build lots of houses, have been given clear instructions and money to build social housing for people in every local authority area.

It is not possible, as the Deputy knows as a builder himself, to provide these things overnight and there is a process to be gone through. We have short-circuited that in many respects. The Minister has recently changed the process again to make it easier for local authorities to get on with building housing units where there are fewer than 15 involved. The money is on the table to provide social housing for thousands of people and not have a situation like we saw last night on the television.

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